-Character Analyses-

Tim O’Brien – Both the author and the main character, O’Brien represents the central personality of The Things They Carried. The most vivid realizations and struggles are related through O’Brien’s character.

Originally a scared college student ready to dodge the draft, Vietnam radically transforms O’Brien into a hardened man determined to convey every twisted feeling of his experience onto paper. In the beginning of the novel O’Brien saw himself as a man who was “not supposed” to go to war, and while that feeling may have always stuck with him, the pressing torment and affection for the fight led him to become a lost soldier without a solid purpose upon his injury discharge.

Sgt. Jimmy Cross – As the ranking platoon NCO, Sgt. Jimmy Cross represents the responsible force of the characters in The Things They Carried. Not necessarily wanting to be an officer in Vietnam, Cross still assumes the role of caretaker and watchful eye of his platoon with a determined sense of duty. While not found to be the most successful commanding officer in his own eyes and the eyes of his platoon, Cross’ heart is still in the right place, and he constantly tries to deliver a sense guardianship to his men. He is faced with a considerable amount of guilt when he makes the poor decision to camp his platoon in a sewage field, resulting in the death of one of his men. While not entirely his fault, Cross is still unable to rid himself with the feeling that the incident was caused entirely by his misjudgment. Mitchell Sanders – As the typical steadfast and honorable soldier, Mitchell Sanders represents the core sense of brotherhood that was bred in Vietnam. Also a fairly lighthearted and humorous man, Sanders creates a force that his fellow soldiers can easily relate to and wholeheartedly rely on. Sanders is a friend to everyone in the platoon, and is very well respected. It can even be said that the characters in The Things They Carried look to Sanders as their leader above Sgt. Jimmy Cross. The majority of the brotherhood aura of the platoon seems to radiate from Mitchell Sanders, because of his ability to work towards keeping everyone together, and making sure everyone in the platoon receives the support they need. This was very relevant when O’Brien asked for Sanders’ aid in revenge on the medic that took him off duty, and Sanders refused to help. This showed the reader that Sanders took it upon himself to impress good values on the men, and to keep them fighting on the same side.